Hill briefing: Uphill battle for Obama on Syria

President Barack Obama faces a clear uphill battle in swaying skeptical lawmakers of the merits of military action in Syria, as top officials were dispatched to Capitol Hill Sunday to make the administration’s case.

In response to concern from a swath of lawmakers, Senate Democratic aides are drafting new language for an authorization of military force in Syria, Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) said Sunday.

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Sunday shows in 90 seconds: Crisis in Syria

The administration’s proposal is too open-ended — a complaint many lawmakers aired Sunday — Leahy said after leaving the classified briefing. The current version wouldn’t garner his support, but he indicated that a more tightly written draft might.

“I know it’s going to be amended in the Senate,” said Leahy, who is the longest-serving Democrat in the chamber.

Aides to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Robert Menendez (D-N.J.) are overseeing the revisions to the authorization of force measure, which seek to narrow the scope for any U.S. military mission in Syria, Democratic sources said.

It is unclear when the revised proposal will be released, or what reception it will get from the White House. Obama administration officials drafted their own resolution that was sent to Capitol Hill on Saturday without congressional input, and it was clear from the moment that it was unveiled that party leaders in both chambers would seek to change it.

On Sunday, a senior administration official said their strategy in selling the Hill on military action “will be to flood the zone.” The official noted that President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and White House Chief of Staff Denis McDonough all made calls on Sunday to individual lawmakers and would again hit the phone lines on Monday. On the Labor Day holiday, a conference call was also planned for House Democrats with administration officials.

Obama will also meet on Monday at the White House with Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.), who has expressed skepticism that a limited military strike in Syria will change the balance of power there. The president will also meet with the Republican and Democratic leaders of the House and Senate foreign relations, armed services, and intelligence committees at the White House on Tuesday.

The administration will make the case that failing to punish Syrian President Bashar Assad for using chemical weapons in the region “risks emboldening Assad and his key allies – Hezbollah and Iran,” the official said, adding that “anyone who is concerned about Iran and its efforts in the region should support this action.”

A new authorization of force resolution would need to strike a balance, ensuring that it is specific enough to win over congressional votes but also give Obama flexibility in any military action.

“The administration’s concern is that if you don’t give us enough leeway, we can’t fulfill what we need to do, which is to discourage the Assad regime from holding onto those weapons,” said Rep. Tim Walz (D-Minn.), who said he believed the resolution as currently drafted is too open-ended.

Dozens of lawmakers flowed into a secure Capitol Hill auditorium on an otherwise sleepy Sunday during the summer recess, eager to hear from administration officials on why the United States needs to respond to the Syrian crisis. Seventy lawmakers attended, according to one source with an informal list.

After the members-only briefing, several lawmakers emphasized that Obama has more to do to win their vote.

“I sense pretty much zero support for boots on the ground and in fact a great deal of skepticism for limited strikes,” Rep. Jim Himes (D-Conn.) told reporters. “There are profoundly unanswered questions about effectiveness, about what happens next.”

He added: “I’m a long way from being a yes vote on even a narrow resolution.”

Rep. Michael Burgess also said he remains unconvinced on the need for action. “I have to tell you, in my mind, it’s far from settled,” the Texas Republican said after the briefing. “Certainly the mood of the district that I represent is: ‘Do not do this.’ And I honestly did not hear anything that told me I ought to have a different position.”

Before the briefing, Rep. Tom Cole (R-Okla.) said he’d “probably be leaning no” if an authorization vote were held today. “I think it’s going to be very tough. I think a lot depends critically on how persuasive the president can make the case,” he said.